| Gifts Prophecy | by A. Wood | |
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This series looks at the gifts that each believer has been given to use in service for Christ. After last months overview we shall now look at each of the gifts listed in Romans 12 taking them one gift a month. This month's is Prophecy. Ephesians 2v20It is often said that the gift of prophecy is no longer with us today, but not always explained why. In this verse we are told that we the church are built upon "the foundation of the apostles and prophets". This cannot be the Old Testament prophets as they knew nothing of the church, looking ahead to the 2nd coming of Christ. With the foundations now built we no longer have prophets with us today, but we can still learn from what the Bible has to teach us about this gift.
Romans 12v6So we start with this verse in Romans. Here Paul says that those who have the gift of prophecy should use it "according to the proportion of faith". That is to say, they should be limited according to what the Lord had given them and be faithful to Him.
Acts 11v27-30Here we see that the Lord had revealed to one prophet, Agabus that there was going to be a great famine. This enabled the believers to make preparation for this and supply others needs. Prophecy was not for the prophet's sole benefit, but for his fellow believers. Likewise, the gifts we have been given, are not given soley for our benefit but that we may be able to help others.
1 Corinthians 14v27-33Everything should be done in order. It should not be the case that all the prophets prophesised at the same time but one at a time. If something should be revealed to one of the other prophets then the one speaking should sit down. Why does the apostle suggest this? Sadly, one could start of saying what God have given them to say, but as he got going, he may not stop with just what the Lord has for him to say, and start saying his own things. The Lord would then reveal something to another prophet, so that only what God has to say would be said. As Paul says in verse 33 God is "not the author of confusion but of peace", so why would God reveal something to another prophet before what He wanted the first prophet to say had been said. Could we apply this to our Breaking of Bread and prayer meetings where we say we are led by the Spirit, surely the Holy Spirit wouldn't lead another brother to get up before another had finished unless they had said what the Lord had for them to say? I'll leave that one for you to think about yourselves.
1 Thessalonians 5v20As we look at this verse we must first realise it is written to the Thessalonians. In their days the gift of prophecy was still around and therefore they are here warned not to despise it. Today we have prophecy written down in our Bibles and we should likewise not despise it, especially when it disagrees with what we believe, it is at the end of the day, the Word of God.Click here to read September's article in the series on gifts. It is an overview of gifts. | ||